Live Music Review // Perennial / Minus Points at Vernon Arts Center East, Vernon CT June 7th, 2024
Additional photos can be found here :::
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1497525690977647&type=3
We currently live in a world where all you have to do is press a button on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, etc and you can say that you have released your new album. This is something which can happen at any moment of any day, though most seem to like to keep their new music releases for Fridays now. But as Perennial released their newest album, "Art History", on June 7th, 2024 this album was worthy of an album release show- not something everyone does- and it was executed in the most appropriate of ways.
How amazing is it that this release show for "Art History" is inside of an Arts Center? There are layered meanings here and I hope they aren't lost on people who might've just showed up thinking this was an ordinary show and it was at an ordinary venue. No, my dear readers, this was anything but an ordinary show and everything about it just felt so carefully calculated that to make it happen felt like some sort of genius that can only be realized in hindsight by those who don't share such intelligence levels.
As the doors opened, in between the band and after Perennial played, DJ Steady Habit was spinning 45s. First off, it's incredibly refreshing to see someone DJ with actual records and not just their laptop. But this was just such a great mix of groovy, bluesy rock n roll that it set the mood for the night. In between artists there isn't always house music so to have a DJ makes sense because when you hear the DJ stop spinning you know a band is about to perform.
Minus Points opened this show, all dressed in stripes in tribute to Perennial, and they played a mix of new songs with the old classics we know and love. There was some debate about whether or not playing the new songs would go correctly, but in the true spirit of rock n roll and punk rock you just go forward and hope for the best. There weren't any moments when a song had an obvious mistake in it so I'd say Minus Points had a really solid set.
The energy of Minus Points coupled with their punk rock leanings as they have a lot of great melodies just made for the perfect opening act. Those outside of Connecticut might not realize that Perennial and Minus Points have played more than a few shows together, but for this show Minus Points really seemed right on and the pairing of the two bands just fits so perfectly. It's difficult to imagine seeing Perennial without Minus Points, but it has been done.
When Perennial came on, everyone felt ready and the Arts Center East was packed. I had to turn around a few times to see all of the people behind me, like, "Whoa, where did you all come from" because getting there right around 7pm there was a lot less people but they found their way. Perennial did a set of songs where most of them were new and off of the album "Art History", which was to be expected because this was that show, but they also played some older songs as well.
I really feel like Perennial has reached that point where they've played certain songs enough times that everyone has likely heard them already. So if they put certain songs away for a while, then it will feel more special when they eventually come back to them. But hearing these "Art History" songs live was amazing. I really wish that a place like CBGB's still existed because Perennial would be so perfect to tear it up there. But I guess part of music and evolving is forming your own CBGB's, your own similar space.
These songs are short and fast but I like that they get right to the point. It's very punk rock in the brevity, but there is also a lot going on within the music which leans towards rock n roll. Just the way Perennial comes across is something no band has ever done before and there will not be another band like Perennial ever again. I feel kind of badly who don't like in the Northeast and don't have this many chances to see Perennial play out live.
While the music of Minus Points started around 8pm, the music of Perennial ended around 9pm. It was that kind of show where the message was sent. It reminds me a lot of this theory someone had once that if you say something three times someone is more likely to remember it. This might be true, but I think one sharp, concise way of delivering a message can also get the point across because this was certainly a show that I (and Quentin) won't be forgetting.
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